college

Yillan wrote: »

Business is never a good course

Thats very unhelpful, and a ridiculous statement! :mad:

-mr.x- wrote: »

anyone doing or finished business in U.L .
is it a good course

I'm currently in 4th year of the old BBS course along with Ninty9er and DJCR.
There are quite a number of others currently doing the new BBS course.

I can comment a little on the new course as I covered a lot of the same modules in my course.

Its an interesting course, which gives you a taste of Marketing, Accounting, HR, Economics and Insurance and Risk in your first 2 years, and then you can choose which you want to major in.
Its very broad and some may say its too vague blah blah...but trust me, its an excellent course overall.

I went the Marketing major route, and I'm loving it.

There are usually over 450 people who start BBS in 1st year and as such people tend to think its an easy course, but its not. The drop out rate is about 18% in both 1st and 2nd year. Its not a course for dossers.

bigkev49 wrote: »

I started doing business in UL in 2002, absolutely hated it.

The size of the lectures were ridiculous, the content was horribly bland and I generally didn't enjoy it. I liked business in school but found the 3rd level course mind-numbing.

Just finished doing my final year exams in Town Planning in Bolton St. and couldn't be happier. Apart from the recession business obviously.

Business isnt for everybody, and just because you liked it in secondary school doesnt necessarily mean that you will like it at 3rd level.

You would have been doing the old BBS course which I am doing.
It is difficult to adjust to the large lecture size and some of the content in 1st year, but it gets better, and who knows, if you had stayed at it maybe you would have enjoyed it and found that its not bland at all

bigkev49 wrote: »

Have to say I doubt that, but as you say it's not for everybody.

Still in contact with people who finished the course and I'm nearly asleep listening to their job descriptions. The size of the course really was an issue for me, zero interaction or personal relationships with lecturers, more akin to a factory churning out huge numbers of degrees every year than a learning experience IMHO.

Just recommending that the OP look into this course further before choosing it.

With complete disregard for my first post on this thread, isn't business the same everywhere, as regards huge class sizes?

To be honest, I'd recommend UL as the best place to do anything, especially something like business, which can end up being a 'token degree' elsewhere. From UL you actually do have to work for the degree and I think this is recognised by employers.

UL or Trinity, for its reputation abroad alone

Hi Mr. X,

I'm currently in third year Business too, so, like a previous poster, out on co-op at the moment.

The course has its advantages and disadvantages. I won't lie, there are aspects of it I'm not mad about, but, in general, its good points outweigh its bad ones from an educational point of view.

First of all, the very fact that its such a broad course illustrates its good points and bad points. You get a well rounded perspective on everything business-wise, obviously. I had very little interest in accounting coming into 1st year; didn't do it for the LC, hated the book-keeping part of JC business apart from the P&L stuff. However, there are three obligatory accounting modules in the course (Financial, Managerial and & Financial info analysis), so every person, whether they were a person who loved the HR/Marketing side of things or someone able to construct a set of accounts in two minutes flat, you studied these modules. There isn't a problem if you're crap at accounting because they teach the syllabus with the very fact that there is an anti-accounting sub-culture within the course . I am so glad I studied these modules, even though I'm a Marketing major, as I'm using techniques and skills learned while studying them everyday on co-op in my marketing position. Plus, I'd rank Finanacial Information Analysis as one of my top five favourite modules so far, partially down to an excellent lecturer and secondly because it was so relevant to all the turmoil in the national and global economy currently. On the other hand, you do come accross a few, not many, but a couple of modules which you have no interest in and on which you would rather not have to do exams. You get over it though, as long as you put the effort in to compensate for the lack of interest. This could be avoided if you were to study a more specialised course (say, Economics and Sociology, which would cut out the HR, Marketing and Insurance stuff). It really depends on what you want to do at the other end but despite its drawbacks, I'm happy to have experienced so many facets of the business world.

Just before I go on, there are a few ill-informed naysayers (not just on this board) who love throwing around ridiculous comments on the 'Business Degree' that you graduate with, the statistics do speak for themselves. IIRC, the numbers employed one year on in posts relevant to their degrees stood definitely within the 90%-100% bracket, with the majority of the remainder in postgraduate studies and something like 3% unemployed. I stand to be corrected on those figures as I don't have the actual ones in front of me, but that's what I remember from memory. Despite what it may appear like, I'm not just trumpeting my own course for the sake of it; indeed,there were times at the very beginning where I was disillusioned with it, but I'm glad I endured.

bigkev49 wrote:

The size of the lectures were ridiculous

Err..yeah they're huge, but as Yillan pointed (and I'm suprised someone had to point it out), business courses are always gigantic, compared to some courses which might only have less than 10 or 20 students. This, or so I thought, was pretty much common knowledge. I, and everyone I know in the course, knew this before we started or even put it on the CAO, even when we were in secondary school. The places for each course are listed in the prospectus and are pretty much available with very little research, so I don't understand how you wouldn't have known this before picking it, and why, if you did know its size, was it such an issue?

bigkev49 wrote:

Still in contact with people who finished the course and I'm nearly asleep listening to their job descriptions

What?
This perplexes me somewhat. Given the fact you picked the course, I would imagine you had an idea as to the type of jobs you'd be getting into when you completed it. So, it's pretty obvious you didn't have any sincere interest in Business, aside from the superficial aspects of it, if you find the job descriptions of people who actually graduated sleep-enducing. A little research prior to picking the course wouldn't have gone astray, to be honest.

wrote:

zero interaction or personal relationships with lecturers

Ok. I have to ask. Do you have any genuine arguments against the course or are you, like many others, just lambasting the course because it's an easy target due to its size?

That zero interaction malarky is nonsense. I have had extensive interactions with several of my lecturers. Yes, it's probably more difficult to achieve than in other courses, but, in all fairness, all it takes (God forbid) is a little effort. You take from the course what you put into it, and if you endeavour to interact and build a relationship (strictly platonic, of course :pac:) with your lecturers, then it will happen. Let's not forget that the semesters with 100% 'common' modules (i.e. 300-400 students) is only for the first three semesters out of a total of seven semesters on campus. From the second half of 2nd year, you split into your major and minor options, meaning smaller , more manageable classes.

Bigkev49, I know it looks like I'm picking holes with every thing you say (and, well, maybe I am), and I'm sure you had genuine reasons for leaving, but the reasons you've stated don't wash AT ALL with me. They certainly aren't anything that a little research or effort would've solved by highlighting the fact that you weren't suited at all to the course.

If there was one thing I would change it would be specialisation from 1st semester of 2nd year as opposed to second semester. From an accounting perspective, they could actually churn out qualified accountants if there was a specialised Accounting course as opposed to having a minor and lots of shite in 1st and second year. I will be giving that advice as feedback after I graduate (I think they ask us anyway and if they don't I'll do it myself).

For the other specialisations such as Risk, Marketing, Finance, HR and Entrepreneurship there is no "technical" study programme to follow after graduation like the 3 year training contract for accountants, so they are more suited to the current system.

The main thing with UL is Co-Op which is invaluable and if you're any good you'll most likely get a job where you did it if you want one after graduation. It allows a relationship to build whereby (in my case) they overlook exam results to some (reasonable) extent in choosing you over more "paper qualified" graduates from UCC, UCD, Trinity etc...

Hmmm, I think I can offer a somewhat impartial view of the course given we (Law & Accounting) share a good whack of modules with business. I think what'll make or break you in the course is going to tutorials, because of the class sizes in lectures there is only so much the lecturer can do. I certainly would value the tutorials in those modules as far superior to the lectures.

Secondly, there are some fantastic lecturers in the course, Anthony Leddin who does Macro-Economics in 1st year and Fergal O'Brien who does Finance in 2nd year are two that immediately spring to mind. Both are very enthuasiastic about what they teach. The economics modules are very good from the point of view of someone who never did economics before, easy enough to get a grasp of I thought.

There are some ****e modules too though, BIM being the one that sticks out imo. Overall I'd say its quite a good course if you're prepared to do a bit of work and choose carefully what you major in.

PeakOutput wrote: »

you are right about the rest but are absolutely taking the piss with that statement

i know at least 5 people who never go to lectures or if they do they go for 1 or 2 hours a week they keep up with the projects by doing them last minute and photocopy notes a week or two before the exams and cram and they are getting b's one even has a 3.1qca. they ar in 2nd year now by the way

I'm really not taking the piss. Its the small proportion of people like the people you know [and that I know] that give the BBS degree such a bad name.
Being in 2nd year mean their qca has only counted from the last set of exams just before xmas '08, so having a high qca is well achievable by cramming, and that can be said for all courses imo.

But if you really want to succeed and make use of the degree, it might be worth actually attending, learning something, networking with lecturers and T.A.'s and fellow classmates. Imo, that way your degree will stand more to you than just graduating with a 1:1 or 2:1 because you crammed fror 4 years.

TeganRainIsGod wrote: »

i'm in fourth year business (accounting major) myself and i have to admit i think its a bit of a joke of a course..

You are like myself and a few others here who are the last of the old BBS course, which is important to note, because any advice you give cannot be told as fact anymore, unless you know the exactness of the new course.

some of the modules covered in first and second year are absolutely sh*te and extremely boring...

third and fourth year arent much better...

modules like ireland and the world economy and business resource methodology (FYP module) are a waste of time

not to mind that but neither of those modules evern rewards people who attend lectures...

I will agree that we did a lot of pointless modules: Communications, Business and Society [1 + 2], Principles of Law, and having to do an elective also in the 1st 2 years. These are all removed now, with the exception of Communications.

Like you say the FYP module was a joke, a complete and utter waste of time, but seeing as in the new course, students get to choose whether they do an FYP or not, means that that module is also irrelevant to them!

IWEC in 4th year was a good module, just badly taught imo.
Like you said it didnt benefit you at all to attend the lectures, which were 2.5 hours long each week!

i'm in fourth year business (accounting major) myself

i couldnt agree more with the statement saying that "some of the job descriptions nearly put you to sleep" .... (how many people's dream job is actually to become an accountant)

but basially i'm probably gonna end up doing another undergrad degree next year....simply because none of the job options really appeal to me...

i've had great craic here for the four years, but the job possibilites strike me as being very boring......

Perhaps you should take your own advice. You chose BBS and took the accounting major. So I'm assuming that you had some indication that you were interested in being an Acountant? If not, then why take that route? The job prospects for accounting majors are fairly straight forward. You must go and do another 3 years, and become a qualified accountant. I'm confused as to why you'd take this route and knowing this

cson wrote: »

Hmmm, I think I can offer a somewhat impartial view of the course given we (Law & Accounting) share a good whack of modules with business. I think what'll make or break you in the course is going to tutorials, because of the class sizes in lectures there is only so much the lecturer can do. I certainly would value the tutorials in those modules as far superior to the lectures.

This is very true. The BBS degree is coupled with other courses for certain modules, which makes lectures even larger, often over 600 people. Making the tutorials is a must! Lecturers are going to be under pressure to deliver effective lectures to that many people, so the interactions in tutorials provides a more suitable learning experience.

Secondly, there are some fantastic lecturers in the course, Anthony Leddin who does Macro-Economics in 1st year and Fergal O'Brien who does Finance in 2nd year are two that immediately spring to mind. Both are very enthuasiastic about what they teach. The economics modules are very good from the point of view of someone who never did economics before, easy enough to get a grasp of I thought.

Again very true. I also had Anthony Leddin, and he was by far one of my favourite lecturers, and I hated economics. I managed to get an A1 in his macroeconomics module in 1st year. He makes it interesting, and I for one actually wanted to attend his lectures, which cannot be said for all lecturers!

Pretty sure there isn't any; just U.L, the I.T's and one or two other Uni's call it Business, while the NUI's like UCC and the rest of them traditionally called the course 'Commerce'. No difference as far as I know.

-mr.x- wrote: »

Is going out as good as in dublin?

You can make going out anywhere fun if you want to.
You have to experience somewhere for yourself in order to ascertain the best location for going out imo.

Sorry for the bump, but I have a few questions regarding business with french.

I'm sure I want to do a business course in U.L. but I'm undecided as to whether to do it with a language. One of my friends is adamant that I have to do the actual business course through French but I don't think that's the case.

In the French part what exactly is involved and is it just a separate module at the end of the year or is it an ongoing course throughout the year?

ULPaddy is just finished BBS (HR) and German, DJCR is just finished BBS (HR) and French. I did BBS (Accounting and Finance) and did German instead of a minor until 2nd year because none of the other minors up to that point took my fancy.

I didn't apply for BBS and German, just BBS but took German as my elective in first year. I don't think there are electives anymore however.

Do Commerce in UCC, I can't but recommend it!

Sorry to be posting this in a UL S.F but I opted away from the Business course in UL in favour of Commerce at UCC; best decision of my life to date!

German people call it East Germany even to this day. Its just its location in the country.

The country your referring to as East Germany was called the GDR (German democratic republic) or DDR (Deutsche demokratisch republik)

Sorry about going off topic.

As for the guy who said about doing Commerce in UCC instead of business in UL, well my best mate is doing commerce and chinese in UCC and says while the course modules are very similiar he says he enjoys the nightlife etc in UL much more.

I can't speak much for commerce course myself but how can you say it was the best decision of your life if you never even did business in UL?

Thanks DJCR, that's exactly what I was looking for. You should take up a job in marketing with that business degree, I'll keep it on now.

Kemmy is also the first Business School in the country to have one of its courses (BBS) ECTS acredited. It's a big deal, but you'll need an academic to tell you why as it's a little complicated and I can just about grasp the concept.

You think 40's bad? For our Business lectures there'll be about 400 I think. About 40 for the French I think.

Mallox wrote: »

well wit the french class i imagine well all get to know each other but with business its a given u wont get to know everyone .. d smaller d french d better i tink

Ya thats exactly what happened in German. Theres only 10 doing the course and you know everyone really well but only get to know a fraction of the business students. Still though I'm fairly sure there's only about 25 doing business and french.
You'll also be with some arts students doing french at times on top of that.